Bearings of different kinds, such as rolling bearings and plain bearings need most often to be lubricated in order to function properly and to assure a long service life. It is very common to use oil or grease to lubricate bearings. However, there are situations where oil or grease is not suitable to use for different reasons. For instance, in harsh environments, such as in high temperature environments, oil or grease may not function properly. If the temperature would be too high, there is even a risk that the oil or grease will vaporize. Moreover, there are situations where oil or grease is not suitable to use due to environmental requirements. Such situations could for instance be in the food and beverage industry.
One commonly used solid lubricant is electrographite as a replacement to the sheet metal cage of the bearing. The cage of graphite is during operation releasing graphite to the raceways and rolling element. One drawback of this lubricant is low speed capabilities and reduced bearing service life.